Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Your Baby in Week 29 of Pregnancy

• The irises just got their pigment and will be a beautiful color, and they will also have the ability to dilate by week 29 of pregnancy. The pupil is in the center of the iris and is black, but really it is an opening in the iris. When bright light hits the eye, the iris will expand to block it out and the pupil will be very small. It also works in reverse for darkness. In the dark, your irises will dilate, and let as much light in as possible so you can see where you are going. Your pupils will be very large, with little color around them. Your baby’s eyes have the same functioning ability as an adult’s eyes, they are just lacking focus at this point.
  

• The fingernails are long enough to where they probably reach the end of those little fingers around week 29 of pregnancy. When your baby is born, the nurse (or you if you can) might have to trim their nails soon after birth. The fingernails might be little, but they can be sharp! Even if you trim their nails, and use an emery board to smooth the edges out, a pair of mittens might be a good idea to prevent scratches. The mittens are usually made out of cotton and slip over the baby’s hands like a mitten. It prevents them from scratching their face by accident until they learn coordination not to hit themselves.
  
  Tip: You can put mittens on your baby for a few weeks or even the first couple of months. You can also look for onesies and infant tops that have fabric at the ends of sleeves which can be wrapped over the baby’s hands.
  

• Your baby’s brain will begin to control primitive breathing movements around week 29 of pregnancy. This is a huge step towards independence outside of the womb. While the breathing is still considered practice, the brain is working out all of the signals and getting all of the systems ready to function outside of your uterus. Each hiccup – you might still feel some, each breath, each rise and fall of the chest is getting your baby that much closer to independence. If they were to be born this week, the lungs are in pretty good shape, but they may still need a little help breathing for a few weeks.
  

• Your baby’s head is probably still up for the majority of the time in week 29 of pregnancy. They may turn from time to time and point down, but they aren’t “stuck” in the down position just yet. They will turn and stay put (hopefully) within the next couple of weeks. They have a lot less room to turn and twist right now, but you will still feel movement quite often.
  

• Your baby’s movements are becoming more forceful by week 29 of pregnancy. Even though your little one can’t do the tumbles and flips like a few weeks ago, you are most certainly still feeling movement. And the movement may even hurt on occasion! A knee in the rib, a foot to the bladder or even a hand punching outward can be a little uncomfortable now considering the size of your baby. The movements will remain strong, at least for a few more weeks until the baby has less and less room to move around.
  

• The bones of your baby are beginning to collect calcium, which is stored for future bone growth. Calcium will also help a bone heal if it is ever fractured. The more calcium you drink now, most especially from milk, the more you and your baby’s bones will benefit.
  
  Tip: It is important that you continue to eat and drink foods that are rich in folic acid and vitamin C. Iron, calcium and folic acid are still vital ingredients to keep your baby’s development healthy and on target. Orange juice, broccoli, milk, dairy products, red meat and lentils are all great choices to add into your diet.